Resolution to Have Resolve

It's January -the month of resolutions. I personally love January's. To me the month itself says "fresh start". And who doesn't love a fresh new beginning?

Now, I was going ask what your New Year's Resolutions were, but that question is kind of old and the theme today is new. Also, my friend tells me that she doesn't tell others of her resolutions because she may not be able to keep them. Which made me think.

Out of your whole, potentially long list of resolutions, which one do you know will happen in 2011? Without a doubt you know, that you'll either stick to it, or make it happen, or it's just going to happen because is has to. Tell me that one. That one resolution that doesn't have the option of not happening.

Okay, I'll go first. I want to say that I will most certainly get an agent this year. I want to say that, but I'm not gutsy enough. I know that no matter how hard I try, an agent isn't guaranteed. So, I'll move onto my next resolution. Yes, this one I can decide to follow and make happen. This one rests solely on my shoulders. Here it is, I WILL loose my chocolate editing weight. You see, editing is painful, and chocolate helped ease the thousands of little pricks as I deleted favorite scenes and explanations. Unfortunately, it took more than a few sweet treats to ward off the evil edit monster and although my book is successfully whittled down to about 95,000 words, I'm feeling (and seeing) the effects. I don't have a goal weight, just the goal to fit back into my jeans comfortably.

So, what's yours? Tell me the one resolution that you know WILL happen in 2011!

The Shower

Shower.

What pictures or thoughts from that one little word, conjure up in your mind? To new mother's maybe solitude and peace? To a child, possibly frustration over an unnecessary and unwanted nightly routine?

To me, when I think of a shower, four different images, four different experiences pop into my mind.

Why four you ask?

Because in the last four months, my family has been moving and transitioning and I have lived in four different homes and therefore showered in four different showers. Granted, they all got the job done -they spouted warm water from above my head in an effort to cleanse me, but each had it's own unique quirks.

The shower I now have, one that I plan on having for a while, is wonderful. The water pressure is strong, and the droplets fall in streams (unlike one shower head that pushed the water out in a painful spray). My current shower has seats in it, seats! And is larger than the cramped quarters of the past.

I know this is a silly topic, but it's rarely discussed and incredibly important. And, I just enjoy my shower now that I had to tell someone. Or lots of people.

So, tell me about your shower. What do you like about it? What do you wish you could change? What have you already changed? Do you prefer glass doors or curtains? These are all important things you know. :) Inquiring minds want to know!

Always Learning

Picture this: in the pile of yesterday's mail was a bubble wrap package from Bethany House Publishing -the largest Christian publishing house in the U.S.

Now, before you begin sending me letters of congratulations, read on.

Yes, there was a book in the package, but not my book.

So, there's this word out there that I learned recently: influencer. Every heard of it? Well, it was a new one to me when Karen Witemeyer asked if I wanted to be one. After she explained it to me and I actually understood the term, I wholeheartedly agreed. If you are like me, and have never heard of an influencer before, it's someone who reviews an author's new titles. The author gives your name and address to the publishing house, and shortly before the book is available to the public, they mail the book to you. You quickly read it, and review it. You can tell folks about it on your blog, on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. Pretty cool, huh?

Yesterday, in the bubble wrap Bethany House Publishing package, I received Karen's new book Head In The Clouds. The cover is beautiful! This will be the first book I'm reading as an influencer -hopefully the first of many.

Seeing as this blog is about everything writing/publishing, I thought I'd share this little tidbit as it became known to me. Oh, and to say that seeing a package from a publishing house escalated my excitement to get my manuscript rewrite done and hopefully published!

Here's The Question:
Have you ever been an influencer? If so, for which book/author?

Three Simple Questions

As you know, I've been expanding my view of character development these last few weeks. I've gone from the mindset of 'how hard can it be?' to 'this is impossible' and finally resting on 'I can do this'. Although, to be perfectly honest, there were a lot more variations of 'this is impossible' before I landed on the decision that I could do it.

I was going to list the methods that I tried and failed at, but I decided that even though they didn't work for me, they may still work for others. In fact, they probably will work for others -I'm just weird is all.

I guess you could say I felt tossed by the waves of character understanding in all the finding-out-what-makes-my-character-tick-stuff.

Then, like a ship caught out at sea, I saw something illuminate the dark waters and land became visible.

I was poking around www.mybooktherapy.com where low and behold, like a beacon of much needed light to a weary sailor in need of a lighthouse, I saw an article on 'The Easy Way To Create Characters'. At first I assumed it was like all the others -difficult to do, without the positive results. But boy was I wrong!

In the beginning of the article she states that this method is painless, and is more like drinking coffee while chatting with friends than actual work. So true.

She asks three questions of your character and voila, you're done. No, really. Remember, I'm the one who has a tough time getting what I know about my characters onto paper in the form of personality sheets? But, I just sat and answered the three easy questions, and in the process, I truly met my three main characters. I asked them what their greatest fear was. What their greatest dream was. And what they valued most. Yeah, that simple.

Of-course if you're going to try this method you should head over to the web-page where she explains how to use this information. And if you do read her instructions and give it a shot, let me know how it worked for you. I'm excited to hear if it helped anyone else the way it's helped me.

I'd better go though, Eva, Harry and Ester are still here and they aren't done chatting. Now, where did I put my coffee?

Oh, here's the web-page:

http://www.mybooktherapy.com/index2.php/articles/listen-to-me-the-easy-way-to-create-characters/

What's Your Favorite?

I've heard enough debate on the subject of mythological creatures to last me a lifetime -which ones are considered acceptable and which aren't.

Regardless of the sometimes passionate arguments, I happen to love stories about them and in fact have a favorite creature of my own.

What is your favorite mythological creature and why? Was it your favorite since hearing childhood stories about it or has it become a more recent fascination? Do you wish there were more fictional books about your favorite creature?

I'm really interested in your answers! I'll share my favorite and why in the comments with the other answers. :)

Moving On...

Okay, I've thought about the rejection letter and I am going to update my blog. Should I quote a piece of what Ms. Agent wrote me? Yeah, I should.

"Thanks so much for sending me NEW HOPE. I really enjoyed the story; it's well-plotted and entertaining. Unfortunately, I don't think the book grabs the emotions as much as it should. The characters feel emotionally distant. This is a common flaw with early manuscripts and I'm sure with continued work you'll master the technique. I'd be happy to take another look at your work at some point. I wish you the best as you continue down the road to publication!"

This is an amazing rejection letter. Now I really want this agent. Her sweet respect and encouragement make me just want her to sign me! I've listened to other author's opinions about what she meant, and I think I have an understanding. And guess what? She's SO right. I went back and read my first chapter. It's gripping and pulls you in, but you don't know what Eva is feeling. I show the story and in some ways I explain who she is as a result of her circumstances (being Jewish in Nazi occupied Germany), but I don't explain who SHE is as a person -outside of her circumstances and current life situation. What is her favorite color? Her favorite food? What does she do for fun? To relax? To vent?

As a doula, when I would interview a pregnant mommy so that I could know how to best help her during labor, I asked her pages and pages of personal questions. Where do you hold tension? What do you do to release the tension? Do you have areas on your body that you can't stand being touched? Do you like your head, feet, back rubbed? Which one would you prefer? And on and on. Does it matter that the mom may watch TV when she wants to relax? Not really. Not while she's in labor it doesn't because she wont be watching TV, but it tells me a little about her and how she unwinds so that I know that she prefers to work through her discomfort by being distracted rather than focusing on it. The answers the mommy gives me sheds light onto other areas of her life because as humans, our likes and dislikes are connected to how we perceive things and in turn to our reactions.

Yet, I didn't ask Eva (my main character) what her favorite color was!

Here's what I did to rectify my mistake. I joined A.C.F.W. and found a few character sheets with tons of questions to ask of my character. Right now, I'm working on filling them out and already I am seeing more layers to Eva, which is exciting. I added bits and pieces of her to the first chapter, but I'm sure I'll add more. I can't wait to really make her a person in my story. I had a friend read my manuscript a while ago and she said she loved it because she really felt like she was watching Eva's life unfold through a window. At the time I thought that was huge, but now I see I don't want my readers to watch it through a window. I want them to watch it through HER eyes. Through a deep connection with Eva. I hope I am able to make that happen.

Here's The Question: Have you done a character questionnaire for your main character? How do you add depth to your characters? If you're a reader, what in the story makes you feel connected to the characters?

I Moved!

Before I begin, I must warn you -this post has nothing to do with writing. Alright, you've been warned, we can proceed.

I can now add a new state to the list of places I've lived.
Okay. So, here's the list:

~California
~Oregon
~Washington
~Germany
~Texas

My new home state? New Mexico. I've driven through plenty of times, but this time is different. This time I stayed and I'm glad I did. I love living around types of natural beauty that are unique to a certain area or state and meeting people from backgrounds different from my own. I think it helps a person to write better -to tap into a larger array of characters when they have lived and experienced more than what's in their own comfort zone. Wait, look, this IS about writing! Leave it to me!

Seriously though, I feel like a blessed woman. When I moved to Texas it was a huge culture shock, but the two years I spent there taught me a lot. I saw a culture hinged upon family and values. I also saw more flat land and big skies than I thought existed!

Now that I'm in yet a new state, I can't wait to learn and see what all New Mexico has to offer and I can't help but wonder if I'll use the area, it's history, or it's people into one of my books.

Are you wondering about the pictures up top? I couldn't help myself. Yes, I did an unsafe thing -I took pictures while driving. (Guilty sigh) I thought the comparison was hilarious. Oh, and I should mention that that U-Haul you see in both pictures, yeah that was my view the WHOLE trip. My hubby was pulling it.

Here's the question:
Can you guess what I was comparing? Notice any differences between the two state pictures?